Close X
Sunday, October 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle UBC camp

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jul, 2024 05:10 PM
  • Pro-Palestinian protesters dismantle UBC camp

A pro-Palestinian protest camp that had occupied a sports field at the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus for more than two months has been dismantled by the demonstrators.

Dozens of tents had been removed by Monday, although barricades and fencing around the site remain in place.

A statement from UBC says "protesters decamped from MacInnes Field" adjacent to the school's transit loop and student union building on Sunday, but did not elaborate. 

A spokeswoman for the protest camp confirmed in a text message that it had closed.

A UBC security guard at MacInnes Field who declined to be named said the protesters vacated the site without giving any notice on Sunday evening.

Guards were patrolling the area Monday to prevent unauthorized people from entering the field while they waited for cleanup crews to arrive.

On Friday, more than 35 tents and a small handful of people were visible at the site that had been occupied since late April by protesters demanding that UBC end any financial or academic ties with Israeli companies or institutions.

A spokeswoman for Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C., said it had no update on a protest camp there. The University of Victoria did not respond to requests for updates on an encampment at its campus.

The low-key closure of the UBC camp came after another protest site at the University of Toronto was vacated last week. That came after a judge ruled in favour of an injunction sought by the school to clear the camp.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Markus Koehnen ruled the encampment took away the school’s ability to control what happened on its properties. The result, Koehnen said, amounted to irreparable harm.

"In our society, we have decided that the owner of property generally gets to decide what happens on the property," Koehnen’s decision said.

University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist had said the Ontario decision could act as a road map for other schools looking to remove protest camps. He said its reliance on property law meant schools could issue trespass notices to protesters before starting the legal process of clearing them out.

Protesters at several Canadian schools including UBC issued a joint statement on social media last week calling the Ontario decision "shameful" for prioritizing property ownership over students' rights.

The statement said protesters would "continue to act on our campuses and apply pressure to our universities through every possible avenue."

The UBC camp once included about 75 tents and was bustling with music and activity, but at one point on Friday only three people could be seen inside the fenced zone.

Vancouver Island University had said in a statement last week after the Ontario court decision that it was "exploring similar legal avenues taken by other institutions."

The school said about 25 protesters occupied a school building in late June and disrupted an exam, while another building was vandalized over the Canada Day long weekend.

Vancouver Island University said its settlement proposal to the protesters had been rejected, and the escalation of disruptions on campus shows "encampment participants are unwilling to engage in good-faith dialogue."

MORE National ARTICLES

Hiker missing for a year near Sooke, B.C., found dead

Hiker missing for a year near Sooke, B.C., found dead
The remains of a hiker who disappeared near Victoria a year ago have been found. Sooke RCMP say the remains of 38-year-old Melissa McDevitt have been located, and police do not believe criminality was involved.  

Hiker missing for a year near Sooke, B.C., found dead

Over 100 arrests made and 29K recovered in retail theft in Victoria

Over 100 arrests made and 29K recovered in retail theft in Victoria
Police in Victoria say officers have made more than 100 arrests and recovered 29-thousand-dollars in stolen merchandise during a recent eight-day retail theft crackdown. Victoria Police say the operation took place from November 27th to December 5th and also resulted in four individuals being arrested multiple times.

Over 100 arrests made and 29K recovered in retail theft in Victoria

Snowfall warning issued for parts of Eastern BC

Snowfall warning issued for parts of Eastern BC
Parts of eastern B-C are under a snowfall warning with some areas forecast to get as much as 15-centimetres today. Environment Canada says the Elk Valley area near Fernie, as well as Highway 3 between Grand Forks and Creston, may get enough snow to hamper visibility in the wake of a cold front in the region.

Snowfall warning issued for parts of Eastern BC

Shooting outside Mission Superstore

Shooting outside Mission Superstore
Mission R-C-M-P say a shooting at a supermarket parking lot has sent one man to hospital with serious injuries. Police say officers responded to a report of shots fired at around 7:30 p-m Wednesday and found a man with multiple gunshot wounds inside a parked vehicle.    

Shooting outside Mission Superstore

Woman dies in crash next to Zoo: Langley RCMP

Woman dies in crash next to Zoo: Langley RCMP
Mounties in Langley are asking for the public’s help with dashcam footage after a woman died after a crash next to the Greater Vancouver Zoo.  R-C-M-P say the initial investigation suggests a driver of a pickup truck stopped in the northbound lane of a street, waiting to turn left.   

Woman dies in crash next to Zoo: Langley RCMP

Key legal document leaked online

Key legal document leaked online
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General says it is launching an investigation into how a sensitive law enforcement document was leaked on social media. A statement from the ministry says Abbotsford police and the province’s anti-gang agency have become aware of a sensitive law enforcement intelligence document being put on a social media site last month. 

Key legal document leaked online